Bourbon Tulsa Weekly is the ultimate happy hour

Michael Patton has created a social solution for adventurous folks who want to check out the hot Tulsa spots.

By Angela Evans

Michael Patton, center, with members of Bourbon Tulsa Weekly at the Penthouse Bar at the Mayo Hotel

Michelle Pollard

Michael Patton, Tulsan and bon vivant, has created a social solution for adventurous folks who want to check out the hot Tulsa spots with other kindred spirits. Bourbon Tulsa Weekly is a Facebook group that has been attracting new members steadily since November with its regular happy hour events that span the city.

“I created a Facebook group after Thanksgiving last year, and it’s just a silly idea, really,” Patton says. The idea is to explore a different pub, bar, restaurant or local attraction every Tuesday around happy hour. Absolutely anyone (21 and up) can join in the fun.

BTW has its core group of women and men ages 40-60, but younger and older people join the fun. Strangers become friends, and oftentimes happy hours turn into dinner afterward. Depending on the venue and the timeframe, guests can number anywhere from a dozen to 50.

“It’s just a social club, nothing more than that,” Patton says. “I think people want to be in something, and this has no rules.”

Patton tries to keep the schedule diverse, exploring places from downtown to south Tulsa, high-end cocktail bars and even a few dive bars.

“I want to promote local places, and if I can manage to drag 25 people to a bar on a Tuesday night, then I feel like I’m helping,” he says.